Cyanobacteria and toxin dynamics in drinking water sources

在过去的十年里，加拿大和世界各地的蓝藻水华的数量和范围都有所增加。在加拿大，许多社区的饮用水来自受蓝藻影响的水源。在受水华影响的水体中，蓝藻和氰化毒素可能在饮用水处理过程中积累，并扰乱水处理。总体研究目标是确定蓝藻和氰化毒素对受影响的饮用水处理厂造成的风险，并对其进行量化。长期目标是制定一种方法，使饮用水处理厂经营者能够使用受影响饮用水处理厂风险管理所需的模型和实时监测方法来实时评估风险。具体的研究目标是：(1)确定用于活体监测的一套与藻蓝蛋白有关的氰化毒素的去向；(2)鉴定与蓝藻水华有关的细菌并确定它们对供水是有益还是有害；(3)将氰化毒素去向的动力学模型集成到水动力学模型中，以确定蓝藻的传输和受蓝藻水华影响的饮用水进水口的氰化毒素的去向；(4)将模型和/或实验室结果与受反复发生的蓝藻水华影响的三个饮用水处理厂的监测进行比较，以及(5)采用一种方法来评估加拿大饮用水取水口的蓝藻/微生物风险。 三个饮用水水源将配备体内藻蓝蛋白探头，以在整个研究过程中持续监测蓝藻密度。将在现场收集高频水华事件样本，以进行藻类物种的分类计数和氰化毒素浓度。将进行一系列实验室实验，以确定一系列氰基毒素和藻蓝蛋白通过吸附、光降解和生物降解过程的命运。藻蓝蛋白和毒素降解之间的相互作用将被确定。实验室结果将被用来开发氰化毒素命运的动力学模型，并将被整合到新开发的原创的密西斯奎湾蓝藻运输的3D流体动力学模型中，密西斯奎湾是三个研究地点之一。蓝藻的一个独特特征是它们能够控制它们在水柱中的移动，因此它们的位置除了浮力外，还将部分地受到水动力的控制。因此，蓝藻的行为与大多数水生污染物不同，因为它们能够控制自己在水柱中的位置。我们的模型将整合蓝藻的这种独特行为，以了解饮用水处理厂的蓝藻和氰毒素风险。 拟议的研究将利用加拿大创新基金会提供的监测蓝藻和毒素的赠款提供的大量设备资源，以及先前开发新的蓝藻运输水动力模型的工作。还将利用与安大略省和魁北克省市政饮用水供应商正在进行的合作，为培训高素质的人员(HQP)提供一个独特的研究机会，这些人员将受益于使用最先进的研究设备，此外还将与水管理人员和公用事业公司直接互动，他们将从所产生的研究中受益。此外，蒙雷亚尔理工学院的研究环境非常支持，HQP将在一个有着良好的HQP培训记录和由当地、国家和国际合作者组成的广泛网络的团队中进行培训。

In the past decade, there has been an increase in the numbers and extent of cyanobacterial blooms in Canada and worldwide. In Canada, many communities obtain their drinking water from sources impacted by cyanobacteria. In water bodies affected by the blooms, cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins can accumulate within drinking water treatment processes and disrupt water treatment. The overall research goal is to characterize and quantify the risk posed by cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins at impacted drinking water treatment plants. The long-term objective is to develop a methodology for drinking water treatment plant operators to assess the risk in real-time using models and real-time monitoring approaches that are needed for risk management at affected drinking water treatment plants. The specific research objectives are to: (1) determine the fate of a suite of cyanotoxins in relation to phycocyanin used for in vivo monitoring, (2) identify the bacteria that are associated with cyanobacterial blooms and determine whether they are beneficial or detrimental for water supplies, (3) integrate the kinetic model of cyanotoxin fate into a hydrodynamic model to determine the transport of cyanobacteria and the fate of cyanotoxins to drinking water intakes affected by cyanobacterial blooms, (4) compare model and/or laboratory results with monitoring at three drinking water treatment plants affected by recurrent cyanobacteria blooms, and (5) adapt a methodology for cyanobacterial/microbial risk assessment at Canadian drinking water intakes. Three drinking water sources will be equipped with in vivo phycocyanin probes for continuous monitoring of cyanobacterial densities throughout the study. High frequency bloom event samples will be collected at the field sites for taxonomic counts of algal species and concentrations of cyanotoxins. A series of laboratory experiments will be performed to determine the fate of a series of cyanotoxins and phycocyanin via sorption, photodegradation, and biodegradation processes. The interactions between phycocyanin and the degradation of toxins will be determined. The laboratory results will be used to develop a kinetic model of cyanotoxin fate and will be integrated into a newly developed and original 3D hydrodynamic model of cyanobacterial transport at Missisquoi Bay, one of the three study sites. A unique characteristic of cyanobacteria is their ability to control their movement within the water column, and thus their position will be controlled partly by hydrodynamic forces in addition to their buoyancy. Thus, cyanobacteria do not behave like most waterborne contaminants as they are capable of controlling their position within the water column. Our model will integrate this unique behaviour of cyanobacteria in order to understand cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin risk at drinking water treatment plants. The proposed research will leverage extensive equipment resources available through a grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation for monitoring cyanobacteria and toxins and previous work on the development of a new hydrodynamic model of cyanobacteria transport. Ongoing collaborations with municipal drinking water providers in Ontario and Québec will also be leveraged and will provide a unique research opportunity for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) who will benefit from the use of state of the art research equipment in addition to direct interaction with the water managers and utilities who are among those who will benefit from the research produced. In addition, the research environment at Polytechnique Montréal is highly supportive and HQP will be trained within a group with a strong record of training HQP and an extensive network of local, national and international collaborators.